The 11th session of the ninth Jatiya Sangsad (JS) begins at Sangsad Bhaban at 4pm today, reports BSS.
President Md Zillur Rahman, as per article 72 (1) of the Constitution, had summoned the 11th session of the parliament on October 4 last.
The 10th session of the current parliament concluded on August 25.
A meeting of the business advisory committee, with Speaker Advocate Abdul Hamid in the chair, will decide on the duration and house proceedings of the 11th session at 3 pm tomorrow.
Besides, Awami League Parliamentary Party (ALPP) will hold a preparatory meeting in Sangsad Bhaban. Leader of the House and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will preside over the meeting at 11am.
Parliament secretariat sources said some important bills are likely to be passed in the 11th session. Some nine out of 11 bills are under consideration while one is yet to be placed before the House and another is waiting for the final approval in the session.
The bills, which are likely to be placed in this session, include: The Vested Property Return (Amendment) Bill-2011, Bank Company (Amendment) Bill 2010, Financial Institution (Amendment) Bill-2010, Upazila Parishad (Amendment) Bill-2010, Anti- Corruption Commission (Amendment) Bill -2011, Legal Aid (Amendment) Bill -2011, Contempt of Court Bill -2011, Wildlife (Conservation) Bill -2011, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council Bill -2011, Science and Technology Development Trust Bill -2011 and Film Sangsad (Registration) Bill – 2011.
Meantime, Speaker Advocate Abdul Hamid called upon the opposition to join the parliament session and to raise their demands before the House.
Talking to newsmen yesterday, he said, “The opposition should return to the parliament in the greater interest of the country and its people.”
“I assure you (opposition MPs) that your logical demands will be met through discussion,” he added.
The BNP-led opposition is unlikely to join the inaugural sitting of the 11th session of the parliament. Opposition Chief whip Zainul Abedin Faruk told BSS that the possibility of their joining the House proceedings is very thin. “But we are yet to finalize the decision in this regard.”
According to JS sources, BNP-led opposition lawmakers remained absent for 187 working days out of a total of 241 days in last 10 sessions of the ninth parliament.
Opposition leader and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia attended the parliament only for six days out of 241 working days. On the other hand, senior BNP MP Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury who was detained in connection with the war crimes trial remained absent for 117 days at a stretch.
The opposition stayed out of the House in the second, third, sixth, seventh, ninth and 10th sessions and joined the fifth session.
Source: The News Today – 20/10/2011